An Indian Jo Roger-Dibbenurney through Lent, Day 38
Is Ecotheology of the Gospel? 1
In my first placement during the late 1980s I had an Anglican colleague of evangelical persuasion who once warned me that if you add anything to the Gospel you actually detract from it. The Gospel for him means that by dying on the cross Jesus Christ provided a perfect sacrifice that paid for human wrongdoing. By being raised from death He won the victory over death. By putting one’s faith and trust in Jesus Christ, acknowledging that He is Lord and asking for pardon for one’s sins one avails oneself of Jesus’ sacrifice, and one goes to heaven and enjoys eternal life when one dies.
I grew up on that belief. So did many of my friends and acquaintances in different parts of the world. There was, for example, Agne, the excellent Swedish farmer and devout evangelical Christian who, when he heard that I was studying ecotheology, asked, “What does that have to do with Christianity?” There was the young woman of the Reformed tradition who, just as puzzled, asked what the use of ecotheology was: “Isn’t this world going to burn?” There was Prasad, my friend from my years in the leprosy hospital in south India who thought that ecotheology smelt of syncretism, a very common fear for Indian Christians. In a way, though, Malcolm, the grand old Presbyterian, then Uniting Church minister shared Prasad’s concern. “The ‘eco’ tail will inevitably wag the theological dog,” he intoned solemnly.
I know and respect all of that. It’s where I’ve come from, and these are all fine people for whom I have great respect. The thing is…well there are several things actually. One is that I can’t accept anymore that God’s entire interest on earth is with human beings. That strikes me as being very selfish (anthropocentric is the long, Greek-derived word they use in theological discussions.) All of this is debated endlessly by theologians, but a couple of important bible verses will do me this evening. John 3.16, often called “the little bible”, because it is said to summarise the Bible’s meaning, says “For God so loved…wait for it…THE WORLD that He sent His only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.” It doesn’t remove the dire warning of humanity’s peril, but God’s motivation was love for the world God made.
Then there is an amazing passage in paul’s letter to the church in Rome, chapter 8:
“18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. 23 And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved.”
That’s quite enough for one night. Tomorrow I’ll continue to explain why my understanding of “the Gospel” has changed, largely through my study of ecotheology.
Is Ecotheology of the Gospel? 1
In my first placement during the late 1980s I had an Anglican colleague of evangelical persuasion who once warned me that if you add anything to the Gospel you actually detract from it. The Gospel for him means that by dying on the cross Jesus Christ provided a perfect sacrifice that paid for human wrongdoing. By being raised from death He won the victory over death. By putting one’s faith and trust in Jesus Christ, acknowledging that He is Lord and asking for pardon for one’s sins one avails oneself of Jesus’ sacrifice, and one goes to heaven and enjoys eternal life when one dies.
I grew up on that belief. So did many of my friends and acquaintances in different parts of the world. There was, for example, Agne, the excellent Swedish farmer and devout evangelical Christian who, when he heard that I was studying ecotheology, asked, “What does that have to do with Christianity?” There was the young woman of the Reformed tradition who, just as puzzled, asked what the use of ecotheology was: “Isn’t this world going to burn?” There was Prasad, my friend from my years in the leprosy hospital in south India who thought that ecotheology smelt of syncretism, a very common fear for Indian Christians. In a way, though, Malcolm, the grand old Presbyterian, then Uniting Church minister shared Prasad’s concern. “The ‘eco’ tail will inevitably wag the theological dog,” he intoned solemnly.
I know and respect all of that. It’s where I’ve come from, and these are all fine people for whom I have great respect. The thing is…well there are several things actually. One is that I can’t accept anymore that God’s entire interest on earth is with human beings. That strikes me as being very selfish (anthropocentric is the long, Greek-derived word they use in theological discussions.) All of this is debated endlessly by theologians, but a couple of important bible verses will do me this evening. John 3.16, often called “the little bible”, because it is said to summarise the Bible’s meaning, says “For God so loved…wait for it…THE WORLD that He sent His only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.” It doesn’t remove the dire warning of humanity’s peril, but God’s motivation was love for the world God made.
Then there is an amazing passage in paul’s letter to the church in Rome, chapter 8:
“18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. 23 And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved.”
That’s quite enough for one night. Tomorrow I’ll continue to explain why my understanding of “the Gospel” has changed, largely through my study of ecotheology.
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